(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic controls and more particularly to cooling and maintaining electronic components.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In the production of oil and other petroleum products and in other industrial applications, the use of automatic or electronic controls is increasing. In such instances, the wells are often located at remote points. To have electronic controls, it is often necessary that the components be cooled. At the present time, they are usually air cooled by having fans blow ambient air about the electronic controls. In many applications, this produces a problem of filtering dust and dirt from the air. Maintenance of filters, often by persons who are not particularly skilled in electronic maintenance work, is necessary. Because of their remote location, it must be expected that the normal well service personnel also do at least routine maintenance on the electronic equipment. Although these well service personnel are highly skilled in the maintenance of electric motors and the well pumping equipment, they are not particularly skilled in electronic maintenance.
This description of the prior art is particularly directed to oil field equipment, but it will be recognized that electronic controls are being increasingly utilized around equipment wherein the environment is not suitable for air cooling. cl SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
(1) New and Different Function
I have discovered that electronic components are more advantageously cooled by submerging them in transformer oil, i.e., a liquid with high electrical resistance and desirable dielectric properties.
However, with using liquid cooling, the maintenance of the equipment presents a problem. Normally, the equipment is too heavy to be manually lifted from a tank of liquid. E.g., some equipment will occupy a space which is over five feet tall (over 1.5 meters) and over three square feet (over 0.25 sq. meters) in cross section and may weigh as much as 1,000 pounds (about 500 kg).
However, I have developed procedures whereby the normal circulating pump used to circulate the cooling liquid can also be used as an elevator to raise the chassis upon which the electronic components are mounted. By placing a leather seal around the base of the chassis the pump is used to elevate the chassis.
Therefore, it may be seen that the total function achieved by the combination of the parts far exceeds the sum of the functions of the individual elements such as, pumps, heat exchangers, seals and the like. Particularly, the function of the circulating pump in the combination exceeds merely the function of circulating fluid since it also functions to elevate the chassis.
(2) Objects of this Invention
An object of this invention is to cool and maintain electronic components.
Further objects are to achieve the above with a device that is sturdy, compact, durable, lightweight, simple, safe, efficient, versatile, ecologically compatible, energy conserving, and reliable, yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture, install, adjust, operate and maintain.
Other objects are to achieve the above with a method that is versatile, ecologically compatible, energy conserving, rapid, efficient, and inexpensive, and does not require highly skilled people to install, adjust, operate, and maintain.
The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects, uses, and advantages thereof, will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, the different views of which are not scale drawings.